The Red Sea Rules: Week 2

"How, then, did God take an impossible situation, flip it around, and use it for His honor? The story of parted waters shows us that God gains glory when His enemies are defeated, when His children are delivered, when His name is exalted, when His exploits are remembered and when His praises are sounded." —Robert Morgan, The Red Sea Rules

Today, we continue our Summer Book Club-Style Bible Study we began last week based on the book The Red Sea Rules by Robert Morgan. We are so glad you've joined us! We will meet here each Tuesday morning at 9:00, through August 6. If you can’t join us on Tuesday mornings, no worries. Anytime during the week, when it’s convenient for you, read that week’s chapter in the book and the corresponding blog post. Then join the conversation down in the comments section.

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“If we could only look upon a difficult crisis as an occasion of bringing out, on our behalf, the sufficiency of divine grace, it would enable us to preserve the balance of our souls and to glorify God, even in the deepest waters.” —C. H. Mackintosh

Glorifying God, even in the deepest waters.

"The next time you’re overwhelmed, instead of asking, 'How can I get out of this mess?” try asking, “How can God be glorified in this situation?'" —Robert Morgan, The Red Sea Rules

Red Sea Rule #2: Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief.

​“Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness. Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider Your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of Your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. 

Yet He saved them for His name's sake, that He might make known His mighty power. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and He led them through the deep as through a desert. So He saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy. And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. Then they believed His words; they sang His praise.” Psalm 106:6-12

Sadly, many people today have a skewed view of who God is. They think He is always on call, takes care of any problems that arise, helps His people feel better about themselves, and does not become too personally involved in the process. ​

In other words, they think God wants people to be nice, but most of all He wants them to feel good about themselves. And you can rest assured that God does not want to bother you. He will leave you alone and let you do what you want. But if you really need Him, then He’s glad to step in and help out.

​That's a brutally honest, and pretty sad, description of the way a lot of people, even some of those who call themselves Christians, picture God today.

Red Sea Rule #2 strikes right at the heart of that entire mentality! Be more concerned for God’s glory than for your relief!

What does the Bible say?

Let’s just take a few minutes and think about that rule. Be more concerned for God’s glory than for your relief. That instruction is not an invention of Robert Morgan, the author of The Red Sea Rules. It’s a principle that we find all through God’s Word. Look at what Jesus says as He contemplates His own death on the cross.

“Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.' Then a voice came from heaven: 'I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.'" John 12:27-28

That’s an incredible statement. Jesus knows that He is going to be crucified. His hands and feet are going to be pierced by nails, and He is going to be left hanging from a wooden cross until His death. He knows all this, and what does He say? “Father, glorify Your name!”

Think about how Jesus teaches us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer. What is the first request that we are to make of God? “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9). Most of us have recited those words so often that we don’t give them much thought. But let's think about them today. What is Jesus teaching us to say in that prayer? “God, may You be glorified and honored as You alone deserve. That’s the thing that I am asking of You first. That’s what I want most of all. Hallowed be Thy name.”

​Let's look at an Old Testament passage that teaches the same concept. God speaks through His prophet Ezekiel in stark and startling terms. God is making a promise that He is going to rescue His people from Babylon, and He explains why He is going to rescue them. The reason He gives is not what we would expect.

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.

"God doesn’t waste suffering. If He leads us into impossible spots, He will deliver us in His own time, in His own way, and for His name’s sake. Our job amid the difficulty is to learn our Lord’s simple but submissive prayer: What shall I say? Save me from this hour? No, Father, glorify Your name." —Robert Morgan, The Red Sea Rules

And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate My holiness before their eyes.... It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel." Ezekiel 36:22-23, 32

What is God’s top priority? It is not the good of His people. It is His own honor and glory.

Is God selfish in wanting to be glorified and honored and praised?

The reason we struggle with this question is that we make what is called a category mistake. We put God in the same category that we find ourselves in, and then we apply our human standards to God.

Let's look at an example: One of the keys to mental health is a good night’s sleep. Every person needs a good night’s sleep. Would you agree with that statement? I would hope so. Therefore, it logically follows that God needs a good night’s sleep too, right? But none of us would say that because we know that God is not like us when it comes to sleep and rest. God is not in the same category. That applies to God’s honor and glory as well.

Think about it this way. Who is the most important person in the universe? If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you will say that God is the most important person in the universe. Do you think that God knows that He is the most important person in the universe? If we know it, then certainly He knows it. Suppose that He decides that He is not going to act as if He is the most important person in the universe. What would that mean? That would mean that God is going to act in a way that He knows is not true. Therefore, God would be acting in a false and deceptive manner. But wait a minute! God does not act that way. He operates according to what He knows is true. Therefore, it follows that to be true and righteous God cannot deny His own worth.

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever... To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever... To Him who divided the Red Sea in two, For His mercy endures forever... But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His mercy endures forever." Psalm 136

Here’s what it all comes down to. For you and me to act as if we are the center of the universe is wrong because the world does not revolve us. But for God to act as if He is the ultimate value in the universe is good, because He is truly the ultimate value in the universe.

I know that is heavy theology, but it is worth considering. Let’s think about how that applies to our lives. Would you agree that life is better when you live according to the truth? Living a lie is counterproductive. It will backfire on you.

We’ve seen examples of that in the news. Do you recall the story about the man who called himself Clark Rockefeller? For years he passed himself off as a member of the Rockefeller clan. He even fooled his wife into thinking that he was a part of the rich and elite Rockefellers. But his lie finally caught up with him, and he was exposed as a total fraud.

You can only live a lie for so long. Sooner or later you are going to get into a lot of trouble. Living according to the truth is always better in the long run.

Since it is true that God is the most important person in the universe, you and I are going to find our greatest joy when we live according to that truth. Be more concerned about God’s glory than for your relief. Make the glory and honor of God your primary goal, and the result will be that you will be far more content and happy in life than if you focus only on yourself.

Psalm 115:1 (our memory verse for this week) summarizes the idea:

"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness!" Psalm 115:1

Be more concerned for God’s glory than for your relief. That’s Red Sea Rule #2. Note how carefully worded that statement is. It does not say that you should have no concern for your own relief. It is not saying that it's wrong to do anything for yourself. That would be an overreaction to the self-absorption that characterizes our society. It’s just that we are to be more concerned for God’s glory than for our own relief.

The Teaching of Psalm 57

Look at how David communicates what we are calling Red Sea Rule #2. In Psalm 57 David is in trouble. The title that is printed in our Bibles in small print says that David wrote this Psalm “when he had fled from Saul into the cave.” King Saul is out to kill David. David hides out in a cave in order to escape. That’s when he writes this Psalm. He starts by telling God exactly what is on his mind.

"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by." Psalm 57:1

David does pray for relief. “God, save me from Saul!” He is concerned about his own relief—and for good reason! Look at how he describes the trouble that he is in:

"My soul is in the midst of lions;  I lie down amid fiery beasts— the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords." Psalm 57:4

David prays for his own relief. There’s nothing wrong with that. But David doesn’t stop with that request. There is something more on his mind than just his own safety.

"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!" Psalm 57:5

David continues in the following verses and writes about his own situation again. Then the Psalm ends with verse 11 repeating what David has already stated in verse 5.

"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!" Psalm 57:11

There is Red Sea Rule #2 in the life of David. Be more concerned about God’s glory than your relief.

Living Red Sea Rule #2

Living according to that principle really does make a difference. When you are facing a huge trial, instead of looking for someone to blame or instead of asking, “How can I get out of this mess?” ask instead “How can I honor God in this situation?” By asking that one question, your whole perspective on life can be dramatically transformed.

For a modern day version of someone living Red Sea Rule #2 read Heather's Story. It's a 4-part blog post series that is raw and gripping yet filled with the hope of glorifying God through the circumstances of life.

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Post Continued

God doesn’t waste suffering

In The Red Sea Rules, Robert Morgan offers a profound insight with just four words. “God doesn’t waste suffering.” Those four words are really worth thinking about. In our trials we grow and develop into the people that God wants us to be. And it is in our suffering that we are often given the best opportunities to glorify God and bring Him honor.

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​Suffering Is Never for Nothing

Find out how, in Elisabeth Elliot's bran new book Suffering is Never For Nothing, our suffering does have purpose and can be the gateway to gratitude and joy. "Hard times come for all in life, with no real explanation. When we walk through suffering, it has the potential to devastate and destroy, or to be the gateway to gratitude and joy.

Elisabeth Elliot was no stranger to suffering. Her first husband, Jim, was murdered by the Waoroni people in Ecuador moments after he arrived in hopes of sharing the gospel. Her second husband was lost to cancer. Yet, it was in her deepest suffering that she learned the deepest lessons about God.

Why doesn’t God do something about suffering? He has, He did, He is, and He will.

Suffering and love are inexplicably linked, as God’s love for His people is evidenced in His sending Jesus to carry our sins, griefs, and sufferings on the cross, sacrificially taking what was not His on Himself so that we would not be required to carry it. 

He has walked the ultimate path of suffering, and He has won victory on our behalf.

This truth led Elisabeth to say, “Whatever is in the cup that God is offering to me, whether it be pain and sorrow and suffering and grief along with the many more joys, I’m willing to take it because I trust Him.”

Because suffering is never for nothing." —goodreads

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The year was 1976. It was America's Bicentennial year and I was in junior high. A young woman came to speak in one of our chapel services. She was in a wheelchair. Her name was Joni, "Pronounced Johnny" she said. We know her today as Joni Eareckson Tada, but on that day, she was just Joni. 

On July 30, 1967, Joni dove into the Chesapeake Bay. Misjudging the depth of the water, she suffered a fracture between the fourth and fifth cervical levels and instantly became a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down.

"I know He tries me only to increase my faith, and that is all in love. Well, if He is glorified, I am content." —J. Hudson Taylor

That quote pretty much sums up Joni's life.

​During her two years of rehabilitation, according to her autobiography Joni, she experienced anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, and doubts about her faith. However, while undergoing occupational therapy, she learned to paint with a brush between her teeth and began selling her artwork. 

She could also write this way, although today, for most writing tasks she relies on voice recognition software. 

​That day in chapel Joni signed a copy of her autobiography and wrote a sweet note to a girl that would some 40 years later write about the experience in a blog post. 

To date, Joni has written over forty books, recorded several musical albums, starred in an autobiographical movie of her life, and is an advocate for people with disabilities. She has founded organizations, radio and television programs, family retreats, Wounded Warrior Getaways, a Wheels for the World wheelchair and mobility device restoration program. She's receive appointments and awards, served on boards, spoke at conferences and authored books. She's made numerous TV appearances and is a trusted advisor of many organizations.

"The sorest afflictions never appear intolerable, except when we see them in the wrong light." —Brother Lawrence

Seeing her affliction in the proper light has been key to Joni's life. She is a shining example of someone who has been more concerned with God's glory than her own relief, and that friends is what Red Sea Rule #2 is all about. Be more concerned for God’s glory than your own relief.

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name be the glory!” ​Psalm 115:1

Please join the conversation down in the comments section.

Read The Red Sea Rules: Week 3 here.

​This week's discussion questions:

1. According to Exodus 14:3–4, why did God lead His people to the edge of the sea?
2. Can you think of other biblical heroes or people you currently know who faced great problems in the past that later turned out for their good and for God’s glory?
3. Have you encountered past heartaches, which, in time, resulted in your good and God’s glory?
4. Why not compose a simple prayer right now to reflect a changed perspective on the way you’re viewing your present Red Sea dilemma?

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​Can I challenge you to memorize Psalm 115:1 with me this week?

"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory,
​for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness!" Psalm 115:1

portions of this post are quoted from www.efcbemidji.org